Bell 47G-4A

N480MS Enstrom 480B Turbine s/n 5052 - Snijders Air Service - heliport Emmen in Holland - 9 August 2004

The R.J. Enstrom Corporation, named after its initiator Rudy Enstrom, was officially organised in 1959 in Menominee, Michigan. Their first more thoroughly engineered helicopter design was the F-28. The two-seat prototype of the F-28 was flown first on 12 November 1960, followed by the first of two three-seat production prototypes on 26 May 1962. Initial FAA certification was achieved for the F-28 model in April 1965. The Enstrom F-28 was built in limited quantities. A more powerful version, the F-28A, was certified in May 1968. This helicopter entered full rate production, and over 300 helicopters of this model were manufactured. After ownership of the company changed in January 1971, the company name was changed into Enstrom Helicopter Corporation. A collaboration between a Boston industrial design firm and the Enstrom engineering team yielded a new aerodynamically styled airframe, the 280 Shark. This new model was certified in September 1974 and immediately put into production. Over the years a number of models were developed and produced based on the body style of the 280. After preliminary market and design studies Enstrom initiated the development of a larger, turbine-powered helicopter in 1988. Two versions were to be developed: a three-seat military trainer, the TH-28, and a five-seat, commercial helicopter, the 480. The turbine-powered 280FX, a modified piston-powered model in which an Allison 250-C20 turbine engine with the Enstrom drive train and rotor system was integrated, flew first in December 1988. The maiden flight of the 480 with wider cabin was on 7 October 1989, and the TH-28 was flown first in 1990. A production representative helicopter made its maiden flight on 21 December 1991. The TH-28 was granted FAA certification to C.A.R. Part 6 standards in September 1992. Initial FAA certification for the 480 was received on 7 June 1993; in December 1994, the approval was extended to FAR 27 standards. Development of the more capable 480B variant powered by the Rolls Royce/ Allison 250-C20W turbine powerplant had begun in the spring of 1999, and FAA certification of the new model was obtained on 9 February 2001.

The 2003-built Enstrom 480B Turbine N480MS is powered by a Rolls-Royce 250-C20-SER turbo-shaft engine. The N480MS was flown first on 06 April 2003. Enstrom N480MS was registered with Snijders Helicopters Inc. Trustee on 21 April 2003 and is operated by Snijders Air Services out of Antwerp Airport in Belgium.